


Reviviscence

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Fraxus [24]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Beach Holidays, Beaches, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fear, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Illness, M/M, Protectiveness, Recovery, Sick Character, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-20 21:17:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16563296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: A long string of jobs has left Freed exhausted and overworked to the point of collapse, and when he is ordered to bedrest followed by a few months without magic Laxus takes the opportunity to whisk him away from everything.





	Reviviscence

    Laxus scowled as he watched Freed stumble slightly as he crossed the guild, clutching at a nearby table to steady himself and leaning against it a moment too long for it to merely have been clumsiness. Not that he had thought that it was clumsiness in the first place. He’d known Freed for years, and not once had clumsy been a word that he could apply to the younger man, especially not after seeing him fight, which made that stumble even more concerning. It didn’t help that it wasn’t the only sign that there was something wrong with his partner. The Rune mage had been slightly off for the past few days, quieter than usual and trailing off in the middle of conversations as though he had forgotten what was happening, and there had been several occasions where he had either stumbled or struggled to get to his feet. However, every time Laxus or the others had asked if he was alright he had brushed it off as nothing more than tiredness.

   That was an excuse that Laxus could have believed a few days ago, after all, they had all been working constantly for the past few months, and he could count the number of nights they had spent in their own bed on two hands. It was one of the reasons he had declared very firmly, for once taking advantage of the fact that he was their ‘Thunder God’, that they weren’t to take another job for at least a couple of weeks. The fact that none of them had protested, not even Freed who was usually worried that they might be holding Laxus back, told him just how exhausted they had been. But that had been days ago and yet Freed if anything seemed even more exhausted than ever. And now that he was actually studying him intently he could see that his boyfriend was utterly devoid of colour, aside from the dark smudges beneath his eyes that would have lent credence to his claim of tiredness, had he not slept for nearly twelve hours the night before.

_Something is wrong._

    That much was undeniable at this stage, the challenge now lay in working out what it was, because he knew that hell would freeze over before his stubborn partner would actually tell them willingly. It usually amused him no end that the man who always scolded him for being too stubborn, was in actual fact ten times more stubborn that Laxus, but right now nothing was amusing about that fact. Instead, he felt like banging his head against the table as he watched the Rune mage stubbornly pushing himself away from the table and continuing towards the bar on unsteady legs, an uneasy feeling beginning to churn in his stomach. _Freed…_

   The uneasy feeling wouldn’t settle, and he found himself rising to his feet and heading towards the bar, even though Freed had already got their drinks and was heading back in his direction. The reason for his uneasiness became evident a moment later as the other man faltered mid-step, a sudden, fearful expression passing over his face and for a split second his gaze met Laxus’. The Dragon-slayer immediately charging forward, but it was already too late, Freed’s legs crumpling beneath him as though someone had just cut his strings and a sudden silence fell as the glasses he had been carrying shattered a split second before Freed hit the floor hard.

“FREED!” Laxus was by his side a moment later, carefully kneeling amongst the broken glass and pulling his boyfriend into his arms, making no effort to hide his fear as he realised that Freed was unconscious. There were small cuts on his arms from the glass, and when Laxus gently ran his fingers over Freed’s head, he found a small lump from where he had hit the ground. However, he knew that wasn’t the cause of this, and there was a sick feeling in his stomach as he cradled his partner against his chest. “Freed…”

   He was relieved when his grandfather appeared a moment later with the rest of the Raijinshuu in tow, and he allowed them to help to his feet, although he adamantly refused to relinquish hold on Freed for even an instant. _I knew something was wrong. I should have acted sooner_ , he knew that it wasn’t going to help anyone to think like that, but he couldn’t hold the thought at bay as he allowed the others to guide him towards the stairs, vaguely aware of Makarov asking Jet to run for Porlyusica. That alone was nearly enough to make him fall apart because that meant that this - whatever the hell this was, was more serious than he wanted to admit, and his expression was grim as he glanced down at Freed’s pale face, realising that he was trembling slightly. The memory of how close he had come to losing them to Tempesta close to the surface as it always was when something happened to them, and there was a horrible guilty feeling in his chest as he ducked his head to press a kiss to Freed’s hair.

_I’m sorry I should have acted sooner…._

**

   By the time Jet had returned with Porlyusica, they had got Freed settled in one of the beds and had removed all the glass from his cuts before cleaning and binding them, the Rune mage remaining frighteningly still throughout it all, and practically blending in with the sheets he was so pale. When the snarky healer arrived the others had hastily beat a retreat, but Laxus had refused to shift from his position at Freed’s side, and after a short glaring match the healer had let him stay, as long as he didn’t interfere with her exam. It was tempting to growl at her for that as if Laxus had any intention of doing anything that would endanger his partner, but he held his tongue and merely gestured for her to begin.

   It was nerve-wracking watching the examination, and he found himself having to focus on Freed rather than the terse expression on Porlyusica’s face, well aware that it took a lot for her to look like that. However, he couldn’t get away with that for long as she began to grill him on how Freed had been acting recently, and he had been hit by a fresh wave of guilt as he admitted to realising that there was something wrong days ago, but being unable to do anything about it. The expression of sympathy that passed over her face did little to reassure him, as she usually was brusque with everyone and he had glanced nervously at his partner before asking softly.

“What is wrong with him?”

“To put it simply he’s overstrained his magic,” Porlyusica replied with a sigh, frowning as she caught the mixture of concern and confusion on Laxus’ face, and she crossed her arms as she glanced at Freed for a moment before explaining. “Rune magic, particularly in the way that he uses it is very dependent on the caster’s physical and magical strength as they provide the foundation that grounds it. At the same time, it places a strain of both of those things, and sometimes as has happened here, it becomes too much, and the mage’s body and magic can become overstrained.”

   Laxus scowled, thinking back to all the times over the last few months where they had relied far too much on Freed and his magic. Somehow he doubted that alone would account for this, but it had probably sped up the problem, and he glanced down at their linked hands. _Freed, I was the one who was supposed to become strong enough to protect you all, and yet you’re the one that’s been shouldering that burden all this time_. He took a shuddering breath, squeezing limp fingers gently before forcing himself to look up at Porlyusica as an unpleasant thought occurred to him. Freed had never been one to tell them that something was wrong unless he had too, and his heart twisted at the notion that the idiot might have deemed this as one of those things that wasn’t important enough to tell them, and his voice was terse as he asked.

“Would he have known what was wrong?”

“He should have had an inkling,” Porlyusica admitted, well aware of the reason behind the storm that she could see building in his eyes. It wasn’t the first time she had been called in to deal with Freed when he had pushed himself too far, although that was usually where he had tried to conceal an injury only for it to backfire. “However…” She hesitated for a moment, already able to tell that the pair would be having strong words when the Rune mage woke up and wondering whether she really wanted to add to that conversation.

“What?”

“Even if he didn’t know the exact cause behind it, he would have been feeling its effects for weeks,” she replied finally, deciding that it was better to have everything out in the open, especially as Freed was unlikely to prove to be a compliant patient. “How he has lasted this long before collapsing is both a miracle and an act of sheer stupidity.”

“But he will be okay?” Laxus demanded in alarm, fighting back a growl at the thought that Freed had been hiding this for far longer than he had realised. _Why? Why wouldn’t you let us take care of you for once? We would have come home sooner if we had known_ …Realising that she hadn’t answered immediately, he blinked and looked at her in alarm. “Right?”

“In time,” Porlyusica nodded, hastily continuing when she could see that he wasn’t happy with such a short answer and knowing that he would be pivotal in actually getting Freed to comply with her instructions. “He will need to rest for a few months. Strict bed rest for the next couple of weeks to give his body time to recover, and then a couple of months with absolutely no magic.” She was definitely not looking forward to having that conversation with the Rune Mage.

“Months…?”

“At the least,” she confirmed, glancing at Freed for a moment before turning back to Laxus and holding his gaze, needing him to realise how important this was. “If he doesn’t rest now he's just going to burn himself out. He would definitely lose the use of his magic if that happens, or in the worst case scenario he could permanently ruin his health.”

   The thought of either of those consequences happening to Freed left an unpleasant taste in his mouth, and he was sure that the grip he currently had on Freed’s had would be bordering on painful if the younger mage was awake to feel it. _I won’t let that happen_. He didn’t care what it took, or how much Freed was going to fight him. There was no way that he could let either of those endings occur, and his mouth was set in a thin, determined line as he met her gaze once more.

“I will make sure that he rests.”

****

The next day:

   Porlyusica’s diagnosis had been passed on to the entire guild so that everyone knew to stop Freed if or rather when he tried to break the strict rules that were going to be placed on him when he woke up. And the rest of the Raijinshuu had been touched to see how many people were concerned about their Captain, spending most of the day fielding queries about his health and trying to keep them away from the infirmary. Laxus, on the other hand, had yet to venture further than the bathroom, terrified that something else might happen or that his boyfriend might do something foolish if he was gone from his side for more than a few minutes at a time. He had hoped that Freed would wake the evening before, but Porlyusica had reassured him that it wasn’t something to worry about, not that is stopped him. He never liked waiting for Freed to wake from an injury or illness, but this was worse than usual because this could have been prevented if only the Rune mage had spoken up or they’d acted sooner, and he desperately wanted to see turquoise eyes open once more and hear his lover’s voice.

   It was nearly night when he finally got his wish, jolting out of a doze as he felt the fingers of the hand he was still clinging to curling around his, hating how weak the touch felt because he knew better than anyone just how strong Freed’s hands were from all the years of sword-fighting. The reminder of what was wrong had left a leaden weight in his stomach, but he had still managed a weak quirk of his lips as he lifted his head to find Freed was awake, although from the half-lidded state of his eyes it wouldn’t be long before he was asleep again.

“Hey,” he greeted softly, feeling something easing in his chest at the sight of alert turquoise eyes slowly drifting around the room and taking stock of where he was, although there was a hint of confusion in Freed’s expression as he turned his attention back to the Dragon-slayer.

“Laxus…?” Freed whispered, wincing as the words caught on his dry throat, blinking when a moment later Laxus had closed the distance between them, releasing his hand and instead helping to ease the Rune mage up and holding a glass of water to his lips. Freed wanted to protest that he could do it himself, but as he lifted his hands with the intention of taking the glass he realised just how badly he was trembling and he hastily lowered them and instead let Laxus hold it, sipping greedily at the cold liquid.

“Better?” Laxus asked gently when Freed pulled away to show he was done, returning the glass to the bedside table when he got a tiny nod in response, before carefully laying the younger man down once more. He hadn’t missed Freed’s attempt to take the glass or the state of his hands, and he swallowed back the urge to demand to know just how much pain the younger man was in right now. Aware that he was going to have to ease into the topic if he wanted to try and avoid the wall of stubbornness that he knew that Freed could throw up.

“What happened?” Freed asked softly, unable to recall how he had managed to wind up in the infirmary, especially as the last thing he remembered was coming to the guild with Laxus and the others just to spend the day hanging out and relaxing. Had there been a brawl or something? Although usually, he avoided getting involved in them, especially at the moment as he had been feeling under the weather, even though he hadn’t admitted that to the others.

“You passed out in the guild hall yesterday,” Laxus replied softly, making no effort to hide his concern in the hopes that Freed might respond better if he knew just how much he had frightened him. Freed seemed to turn paler at his words, which was a feat in itself and then came the dreaded flash of stubbornness in the turquoise eyes, and he was unsurprised although irritated when the idiot immediately tried to push the covers off himself. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” It was always the same when he was injured, he would always try to shoot out of the bed even if he was still covered in bandages and barely able to move. They’d all learnt to be alert in order to stop him, and Laxus scowled at him even as he reached out to grab the Rune mage by the shoulders, mindful of the cuts covering his skin as he stopped him from rising. “Freed!”

“I…”

“You’re not allowed to move from that bed for the time being,” Laxus told him sternly. Narrowing his eyes as he took in the horrified expression that met his words, and continuing before the younger man could even begin to spit out the protests that he could see forming, his fingers tightening on his boyfriend’s shoulders to stop the Rune mage from being able to escape. “Freed, why didn’t you tell us how ill you were feeling?” Porlyusica had been very plain when she had said that there was no way Freed hadn’t known that something was wrong and that he had probably been feeling incredibly unwell for quite some time.

“I’m fine…” Freed mumbled, glancing down as he realised that there was no way he was going to get away with that lie any longer. If he was honest, he had been feeling ill for months, and he knew that it had been getting worse, especially after the last string of jobs, but he hadn’t wanted to worry them. Things had finally settled down for both them and the guild, and he didn’t want to disturb that peace, especially not now some of the shadows had finally left his partner’s eyes _. I didn’t want to worry you…_

“NO!” Laxus snarled and Freed flinched at his tone, glancing up, unsurprised by the anger that was written across the Dragon-slayer’s face, although he could see the concern beneath it…and fear? He tensed at the latter, well aware that it took a lot to put that look in Laxus’s eyes and the Lightning mage must’ve noticed his reaction because his voice had softened when he continued. “You are not fine! You are very far from fine, and you need to realise that.”

“Laxus?” _It’s not that serious, is it?_ He had thought that just taking a few days off would be enough to give him a chance to rest and regain his strength. Although he had to admit that stopping seemed to have made it worse and he felt a hint of alarm slipping through his denial as Laxus sighed softly, the Dragon-slayer releasing his shoulders and reaching down to grasp his hands instead.

“Porlyusica has ordered that you’re to be on bedrest for the next couple of weeks, and that under no circumstances are you to use magic for the next few months.”

“But…”

“You’ve overstrained your magic,” Laxus cut across him, well aware that there was no way that Freed was going to accept those rules without a fight, but determined to make him realise just how serious this was and he held Freed’s gaze as he added softly. “If you continue to use it, you could permanently damage it or worse…” He saw the fear that seeped into the turquoise eyes at those words, and his expression softened as he reached up to brush his fingers across a pale cheek. “Please stop trying to push yourself so hard, I don’t want to lose you.” _I can’t lose you…_

“I…” Freed trailed off, unable to bring himself to protest as he saw the raw emotion in the blue eyes holding his gaze. Months though? He was a mage. He was their Captain. He was supposed to be able to stand at Laxus’s side and the thought of not being able to do that for months. The thought that he might be left behind made his stomach twist unpleasantly. However, he couldn’t deny that the potential costs were terrifying. _‘I don’t want to lose you'_ , Laxus’s fearful words echoed in his ears, and he sighed before glanced down. “I-If I rest, will it definitely recover?”

   Laxus’ eyes widened at the quiet question, easily able to hear the reluctance beneath them, but feeling a smile creeping across his lips at the realisation that Freed was at least willing to contemplate cooperating. Although he wasn’t naïve enough to believe or a minute that, that attitude would last once Freed was beginning to feel better.

“Yes,” Laxus said without the slightest hint of hesitation, it had been one of the things he had asked when Porlyusica had come back to check on his partner that morning. “But you have to rest.”

   Freed sighed, easily able to hear the pleading undertones in that last bit, and he knew that there was no way he was going to be able to deny the Dragon-slayer. It was rare that the fiercely independent blond would ask anything of him, and besides as much as he might want to protest and as much as he knew that he was going to hate the next few months, he knew that it was better than facing a future where he couldn’t stand at Laxus’s side. Especially as it would be his own fault if that happened _._

_I hate this…_

   He wanted to rail against the situation, desperate to go back to his belief that a few days of rest would see him back to normal, but instead, he leant into the gentle fingers still resting against his cheek as he admitted defeat - for now.

“Fine…”

“Thank you,” Laxus whispered, leaning in to kiss him gently before pulling him into a tight hug, letting his head rest against Freed’s as he closed his eyes in relief. He had honestly thought that Freed was going to put up more of a fight, and while he knew there was still time, he was more than happy to take that quiet agreement.

_I’m not going to lose you because of this…_

****

   The next two weeks had crept by for Freed, and he had hated every moment of being cooped up in bed, even when he had been allowed to go home to rest a couple of days in. Laxus was always by his side, doing his best to keep him entertained with his company and by providing him with books and lacrima movies to watch, and after that first day, he’d had a constant stream of visitors. Evergreen and Bickslow weren’t there as much as he had expected though, although they had spent the first couple of days practically glued to his side and taking their own turn at scolding him for his ‘recklessness’. However, after that they had disappeared, although every now and then he could have sworn that he’d heard their voices downstairs, but when he had asked about it Laxus had changed the topic.

   That had been his first clue that something was going on. The second clue had been when he realised that the bags they used for going on jobs were missing from the wardrobe, and the muttered excuse that Laxus hadn’t wanted him to be reminded that he couldn’t work had rung alarm bells in his ears. But there was little he could do about it. Laxus had been ridiculously attentive from the moment he had agreed that he would abide by Porlyusica’s rules, making it impossible for him to even get to the bathroom without the older man knowing, and as much as it warmed him to know Laxus cared this much he was missing his independence. More than once he had snapped at the blond, irritated by his situation and by his growing certainty that the older mage was up to something and what made it worse was that Laxus just took it, brushing off his apologies when he had calmed down enough to make them. It was another sign that things were far from normal.

    But that part of his torment was nearly over. Porlyusica was supposed to be visiting the next day to decide whether he was ready to be released from the hell that was bed rest, although he had already decided that he was going to get up whether she said he could or not, not that he said that aloud where his mate could hear him. The only downside was that he knew that he was going to have to confront Laxus about what they were going to do for the next few months, because whilst they probably had enough saved between them to not need to work until he was better, he knew that Laxus preferred to keep that to fall back on. Besides there was only so long that the blond could sit around, and while he hadn’t shown any restlessness so far, Freed was sure that it was just going to be a matter of time. As much as he hated the thought of being left behind, he knew that it wasn’t fair to make his partner suffer with him. And he was already planning what arguments he could use to convince the Dragon-slayer that it was okay to go on a job without him, trying to ignore the ache in his chest at the mere thought of it.

_I don’t want him to leave me behind…_

**

    However, it turned out that he wasn’t the only one who had been making plans for when he got the all clear. Porlyusica had arrived and had announced that he was free from bedrest as long as he continued to take it easy, and he had been more than a little offended when he had caught her congratulating Laxus for keeping him in bed. Even if privately he had to admit that they had cause to be surprised at his compliance, well aware that he didn’t have the best track record as a patient. However, the thought of damaging his magic permanently and being unable to stay at Laxus’ side had been enough motivation to stop him from protesting…too much.

   By the time that Laxus returned from seeing the healer out, Freed was out of bed and dressed properly for the first time since he’d collapsed in the guild hall, reluctantly forced to admit that he felt better than he had for a long time. There had been no dizziness, and no grabbing at the furniture when it felt like the floor was going to give way beneath him, and he was smiling as he turned to face the Dragon-slayer, startled when Laxus closed the distance between them and kissed him fiercely.

“Happy?” He asked softly when they pulled back, and even with the prospect of eventually being left behind so that Laxus could go back to work, he had to nod as he rested his head against his partner’s chest, smiling as he listened to the soothing rhythm of Laxus’s heart. “Good,” Laxus sounded brighter than he had for a while and Freed realised that he had been waiting for this moment as well and he glanced up, blinking at the mischievous grin that met his gaze.

“What are you up to?”

“We’re going on a trip,” Laxus replied and Freed narrowed his eyes as he studied the Dragonslayer. His mind suddenly flashing back to their missing bags and the whispered conversations he’d heard and that would explain why his wardrobe had seemed emptier than usual, he had originally dismissed it as being backed up laundry as he knew that Laxus avoided that job like that plague. There was a spark of excitement growing in his chest though, and not just because of the prospect of a trip, but because it sounded like he wasn’t going to be left behind just yet. However, that mischievous expression still worried him a little, and he couldn’t quite keep the suspicious note out of his voice.

“Where are we going?

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out.” Was the unhelpful reply, and Freed could see it in his eyes that the Lightning mage was doing it to wind him up. And while it made a pleasant change after the hyper-tolerance and pampering of the last couple of weeks, it didn’t stop him from glowering up at the taller man, wishing as he often did that he was a little taller so that he actually stood a chance of intimidating his partner.

“Laxus…”

“It’s a surprise,” Laxus cut him off, smile turning softer and more earnest as he grasped both of Freed’s hands. “Please, let me do this.” There was no way Freed could deny that pleading tone, and he was fairly sure that Laxus had caught onto that fact and he made a note to try and find a way a way to resist it. _Later,_ he admitted as he smiled and leaned up to press a small kiss to the corner of the Dragon-slayer’s mouth.

“All right, surprise me.”

****

    Evergreen and Bickslow had seen them off at the train station, refusing to give him even a hint as to where he was going, but he knew that they knew as he had caught them grinning and whispering with Laxus when they thought he was distracted. Part of him desperately wanted to know, unused to being kept in the dark, but he couldn’t bring himself to demand answers when his boyfriend had practically been vibrating with excitement ever since he had agreed to go along with him. He hadn’t even been able to sneak a peek into his suitcase to see what they had packed for him, as Bickslow had stolen the blasted thing from him, refusing to let him carry ‘such a heavy thing’ even though the only thing he wasn’t allowed to do now was use magic. Still, he couldn’t be too irritated with them, and he had let them hug him and in Evergreen’s case press a teasing kiss to his cheek. Watching out of the corner of his eye as Laxus downed his travel sickness pills after glancing nervously at the train, and in the end, they’d had to run for the train.

   He had caught a glimpse of their tickets though when the conductor had come around, and he had turned triumphant eyes towards Laxus, even as he tried to work out why on earth the older man was being so secretive if they were just going to Hargeon.

“That’s not our final destination,” Laxus had caught his look, and knew exactly where his thoughts were going, and he grinned as he added. “And no I’m not telling you.” Freed huffed at that response, but to be honest, he really didn’t mind, and before the train had even cleared Magnolia he had curled up against Laxus, the Dragon-slayer’s arm wrapped around his waist and it was much later that he had fallen asleep against the older man.

   Despite the weeks of bed rest and the fact that he felt much better, he still managed to sleep all the way to Hargeon, even missing Laxus carrying him between trains when they had to make a change and when he finally stirred he was stunned to find that they had already reached the port town. Laxus waved aside his apologies, kissing him softly before taking control of both of their bags despite Freed’s protests before leading the half-awake Rune mage down to the waterfront and this time Freed was too out of it to ask where they were going as they climbed into a small boat that seemed to have been waiting for them.

    He was fully awake though by the time an island came into sight, his arm wrapped tightly around Laxus who had paled dramatically in the last few minutes as the medicine he had taken to ward of his travel sickness wore off. Pulling Laxus closer he studied the island, having to admit that it was a beautiful sight with the only sign of habitation that he could make out from this angle was a small harbour that they were currently heading for. It was only when they passed a sign sticking up above the waves, welcoming them to Galuna Island that he realised where they were and he couldn’t help but glance sideways at the man currently guiding their boat into the harbour. He had heard about the island from Natsu’s team and yet there didn’t seem to be anything demonic about the man, and he wasn’t about to ask, instead turning his attention back to his mate.

“Laxus?”

“This…” Laxus grimaced, his cheeks puffing out for a moment before he took a deep breath, and continued in a slightly steadier voice, leaning his head against Freed’s shoulder before focusing on the island ahead of them. “This is our home for the next couple of months.”

“But…”

“They’re in the process of building a resort here, and they were looking for help,” Laxus continued, well aware that Freed was worrying about how they were going to afford to be away for that long, and he grinned up at the Rune mage as he added softly. “I thought that way I can work, and you can rest and relax properly.” The idea had occurred to him a couple of days into Freed’s bed rest. Well aware that remaining in the guild and being unable to use his magic was going to be torture for the younger man, and they couldn’t risk him tagging along on jobs as the moment they were even remotely in danger he would forget about the restrictions he was under. Therefore, he had searched high and low, with the rest of the Raijinshuu and Mirajane’s help until he had found this job. One that required no magic, but simple hard work and came with accommodation and beaches, and even better it was somewhere neither of them had been before, so Freed would be able to explore if he got bored of relaxing on the beach.

“Laxus…”

“Besides how many chances are we going to get to spend a couple of months lazing on beaches?” He asked with a grin. It had been ages since they had managed to even get away for a couple of nights, and while he wished that Freed had never pushed himself to the point where he had collapsed, he had to admit that it had given them the perfect opportunity to indulge themselves.

   Freed couldn’t answer, feeling his eyes beginning to sting as he realised that Laxus had done all of this for his sake and that he wasn’t going to be left behind, and he leant his head against Laxus’ with a soft smile. The thought of a couple of months with just the two of them, and the beautiful island they were heading towards felt like a dream come true after the last few months, and he had to admit to himself that the thought of being able to just relax was something he desperately wanted. Especially if it came with the added bonus of getting to sunbathe with his boyfriend, and his voice was slightly unsteady as he pressed a gentle kiss to Laxus’ cheek.

“It sounds lovely…”

****

Two weeks later:

   Freed yelped as he was suddenly sprayed with water, curling protectively over his book before lifting his head to glower at his boyfriend who had just come charging up the sands after a dip in the sea, but it was impossible to stay irritated in the face of Laxus’ obvious happiness. The last couple of weeks had done them both a world of good. The Dragon-slayer would work at the resort from nine to five during the week, coming down to the small beach hut they were living in for lunch. The evenings and weekends though were entirely theirs, and they alternated between long walks along the beach that their hut opened onto, playing chasing each other and often ending up falling into the spray, swimming and diving in the sea around the island and lazing around under the trees that lined the top of the beach. They had yet to explore the rest of the island, but they were in no particular hurry.

“Jerk,” he muttered under his breath as Laxus flopped down beside him on the blanket he had spread out beneath him, squawking in surprise as the Dragon-slayer rolled over so that he was pinned beneath him, and he found himself blushing slightly as he felt blue eyes trailing over every inch of him.

   For his part, Laxus couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he studied the Rune Mage. The dark shadows had disappeared completely, and the scarily pale skin had long since given way to a soft tan, and there was no sign of stress or weariness to be found, and that was all that he cared about. He felt rested and rejuvenated himself, but that was just a secondary bonus, it was the happy smile on Freed’s face and the fresh spark in turquoise eyes that made all of this worth it and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in to steal a kiss, startled to find himself being pushed back a moment later.

“You’re dripping on me,” Freed told him sternly, but the smile tugging at his lips ruined its effect, and Laxus grinned wickedly at him, noting the way the younger man gulped nervously in response.

“Oh?” Laxus leered at him for a moment before leaning in and kissing him again, deliberately deepening it until he decided Freed was flustered enough, admiring the pink dusting his mate’s cheeks as he pulled back and asked teasingly. “You know what I think…?”

“Hmm…?” Freed was struggling to remember what they had been talking about, more focused on the lingering warmth in his lips and the fact that Laxus was still hovering so close that their breath was mingling, and he found himself trying to lean up to steal another kiss. “That you need to cool down!” Laxus replied with a grin, pulling back before Freed could kiss him and he gave the younger man no time to respond as he swept him easily into his arms, dangling him over his shoulder as he rose to his feet and began to run back down the beach. Freed had apparently caught onto what he was doing as he had started to wiggle in an attempt to free himself, giggling as Laxus’ fingers grabbed his ticklish sides and pleading breathlessly for mercy which was cut off by a loud cry as he was dropped unceremoniously into the sea a few minutes.

   The Dragon-slayer was triumphant as he stood over Freed, laughing as the younger man tried to glare at him while brushing hair out of his eyes, and he was caught by surprise when Freed’s foot shot out and hooked around his ankle, tugging hard and sending him toppling into the water beside Freed. With a low growl, Laxus pounced on his laughing mate, rolling them both over and over in the waves until Freed managed to break free and it escalated into an all-out water fight with neither of them willing to call a truce. At least not until Laxus managed to capture the Rune mage nearly ten minutes later, pulling him into a tight hug and kissing the top of his head, before asking softly.

“Happy?”

   Freed couldn’t find the words to convey just how happy he was right then, the fact that he couldn’t use his magic for at least another month and a half the furthest thought from his mind, and instead he leaned up to kiss him. Laxus met him halfway as always, and he tried his hardest to pour everything he was thinking and feeling into the kiss, and from the way, blue eyes sparkled when the pulled apart he knew that the Dragon-slayer had heard him loud and clear. He hummed contentedly as he leaned against the taller man, the waves tickling their legs and the beach stretching out behind them.

_I love you, thank you for this…_


End file.
